We thought it would be helpful to create a list of resources that you can always come back to help you live a more minimalist vegan lifestyle. We’ll add to this list as we learn more, and you’ll notice that we’ll often refer back here in our blog posts. We recommend bookmarking this page for your convenience. Enjoy!

FILMS & DOCUMENTARIES

EARTHLINGS is an award-winning documentary film about the suffering of animals for food, fashion, pets, entertainment and medical research. Considered the most persuasive documentary ever made, EARTHLINGS is nicknamed “the Vegan maker”, and it indeed was for us! Its sensitive footage shot at animal shelters, pet stores, puppy mills, factory farms, slaughterhouses, the leather and fur trades, sporting events, circuses and research labs. This is a must watch if you want to see what happens behind closed doors.

UNITY is the latest film from the writer and director of EARTHLINGS and features an unprecedented cast of 100 celebrity narrators. It is a documentary about why we can’t seem to get along with each other, even after thousands and thousands of years. The cast of 100 celebrities includes: Ellen DeGeneres, Selena Gomez, Jeff Goldblum, Adam Levine, Deepak Chopra, Common, Adrian, Grenier, Ben Kingsley, Zoe Saldana, Dr. Dre, Geoffrey Rush, January Jones, Jennifer Aniston, Joaquin Phoenix, Susan Sarandon, Tony Hawk, Pam Anderson, and others.

Animal agriculture is the leading cause of deforestation, water consumption and pollution is responsible for more greenhouse gases than the transportation industry, and is a primary driver of rainforest destruction, species extinction, habitat loss, topsoil erosion, ocean “dead zones,” and virtually every other environmental ill. Yet it goes on, almost entirely unchallenged. This is a groundbreaking feature-length environmental documentary following intrepid filmmaker Kip Andersen as he uncovers the most destructive industry facing the planet today – and investigates why the world’s leading environmental organisations are too afraid to talk about it.

A Plastic Ocean documents the newest science, proving how plastics, once they enter the oceans, break up into small particulates that enter the food chain where they attract toxins like a magnet. These toxins are stored in seafood’s fatty tissues and eventually consumed by humans. Plastic Pollution has become a human-made global catastrophe. Over the last 60 years plastic has become central to our lives, and as a result, humankind has subjected the planet to a tsunami of plastic waste. The scale of the problem is exponential—in the last ten years, the World has used more plastic than it did in the previous 100 years. In New York City alone, 24 million plastic bottles are discarded every week, and in 2010 alone we have produced around 300 million tonnes of plastic; the ridiculous thing is that 50% of it will be used just once.

How might your life be better with less? Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things examines the many flavours of minimalism by taking the audience inside the lives of minimalists from all walks of life—families, entrepreneurs, architects, artists, journalists, scientists, and even a former Wall Street broker—all of whom are striving to live a meaningful life with less.

Filmed in countries all over the world, from the brightest runways to the darkest slums, and featuring interviews with the world’s leading influencers including Stella McCartney, Livia Firth and Vandana Shiva, The True Cost is an unprecedented project that invites us on an eye-opening journey around the world and into the lives of the many people and places behind our clothes.

Blackfish tells the story of Tilikum, a performing killer whale that killed several people while in captivity. Along the way, director-producer Gabriela Cowperthwaite compiles shocking footage and emotional interviews to explore the creature’s extraordinary nature, the species’ cruel treatment in captivity, the lives and losses of the trainers and the pressures brought to bear by the multi-billion dollar sea-park industry. Whales are extraordinarily smart mammals, yet people tend to know so little about them – even the trainers.

Food Matters TV is a vast online library of many health and wellness documentaries including most of the ones listed above. You can watch all your favourite inspiring documentaries, expert interviews and recipe videos in one place and share them with those around you. You can sign up and watch as much as you want for a month or sign up for a year. They release new documentaries often.

BOOKS

Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less: Greg McKeown does a great job of explaining the benefits of doing what is essential and eliminating the rest. He has a simple straight-talking tone that inspires you to take action, like immediately.

The Alchemist: This is an endearing story of how Santiago, a shepherd, goes on his journey of self-discovery. There are so many hidden nuggets in this book that it’s worth buying the hardcover so that you can set it on your desk.

HappyCow: We couldn’t even tell you just how much time and headache this app has saved us when travelling. It uses your location to find the nearest vegan-friendly eateries, grocery stores and fashion outlets. The reviews and pics of food a super useful for making an informed decision.

Day One: Journaling is one of the most powerful activities you can do to reduce anxiety, deal with problems and gain clarity in your life. There are many tools you can use to write including a pen and paper, or a Word document. Day One, however, makes it easier to jot down your thoughts and capture meaningful experiences quickly.

7 Minute Workout Challenge: Are you always at war with yourself as you try to find time to exercise amongst everything else you have going on? If this is you, definitely check out this app. It’s short, it’s straightforward and it’s incredibly useful. Some of the exercises are quite strenuous – so make sure to consult with a physician if you have any nagging injuries.

Yoga Studio: If you’re looking to start yoga, nothing beats going to a studio and getting real-time feedback. However, making the time and financial commitment can often be a barrier to starting. If you’re looking for cheaper and convenient option, look no further than Yoga Studio. The workouts are extremely well planned, and the instructions are clear. It also has some guided meditation classes in there which is a nice bonus.

CHALLENGES

Project 333: If you’re new to minimalism one of the most natural places to start is in your wardrobe. This project will help you find beauty in less by owning less than 33 articles of clothing for each season. Are you up for it?

7 Day Vegan: This challenge opened up our eyes to veganism, and was the reason why we decided to watch Earthlings. It’s super easy to follow with a good range of dead-simple vegan recipes to help you get started.

30-Day Minimalist Game: Another easy-to-follow challenge that is perfect to do with a parter. Battle it out to see how long you can last with this clutter-buster.

Get Our Slow SundayMornings Newsletter

Where we share small notes on how to live with less stuff and more compassion as well as our latest content.